Habib Esfahanian (OS 2003) shares the secrets of his success

Successful city trader Habib Esfahanian, who left Stockport Grammar School in 2003, made a return visit to offer support and guidance to current pupils.

Mr Esfahanian (30) is now Vice President in Bulk Commodities Trading in one of the leading US banks.

He spoke about the path he took after leaving school, telling pupils he studied at the London School of Economics before securing a job at Lehman Brothers. He was working there in 2008 when the company went into bankruptcy and subsequently moved to Geneva as an Oil Trader before he was offered a role back in London nearly six years ago.

Mr Esfahanian is now actively involved in Graduate development and said the main qualities he looks for in potential new employees are enthusiasm and passion for the role. He said there is a misconception that you need a degree from Oxford or Cambridge to be successful in this field.

He promoted the idea of having candidates from different backgrounds and disciplines. He added:

The trading environment is extremely competitive. Deep fundamental knowledge combined with competent risk taking are the keys to acquiring results. We look for strong candidates with the same desire to excel and develop as an individual as well as adding value to the team.